1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the art of tooth maintenance for large animals and more particularly to a set of tools which may be used under powered motion for care and maintenance such as removing a selected portion of the exposed surface of teeth, such as equine teeth, with the powered hand being guided into the mouth of the horse. The powered tool is partially guarded so as to protect fleshy portions of the horse's mouth from being engaged by the powered tool. The tool may have a rotary cutting surface of a selected size and shape, sometimes commonly called a burr, or the tool may be a rotary cut-off disk. The selected tool, either the burr or cut-off disk, is supported and partially enclosed in a protective guard formed as a hand piece that may be guided into the mouth of a horse to perform care and maintenance on a selected portion of the teeth. The hand piece fabricated according to the teaching of this invention provides for quick on and off attachment of a selected cutting surface for maintenance of a preselected portion of teeth within the same hand piece or another hand piece sized to ease access to the next selected portion of the horse's mouth. The selected cutting surface is mounted within the protective guard/hand piece arrangement that may further incorporate a vacuum channel whereby the tooth dust and debris created by the powered cutting surface removing a portion of tooth is sucked out of the mouth of the horse. The motion of the tooth surface removal tool may be changed from rotary to powered reciprocating motion for a selected portion of the teeth. Attaching the powered drive to the rotary cutting surface by means of an adjustable clutch further enhances protection from injury to the inside of the mouth of the horse.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Throughout the life of the horse, the teeth continue to extend from the gums. When non-domesticated horses graze on the ground, they pick up sand and hard particles in the grass, which would naturally reduce the growth of the horse's teeth.
In order for domesticated horses to properly chew their food, which consists mostly of preprocessed grain and formula, the teeth require periodic maintenance. Without the natural wearing of the teeth from grazing on the ground, the teeth may grow uneven and too long, thus interfering with normal eating.
In the past, regular dental care to remove points, hooks or ridges that have grown or worn into the teeth required the use of a specially designed rasp-like tool to remove them, a process called floating the teeth. Because of the structure of the teeth, the horse does not have nerves extending upward in the teeth and therefore feels no pain when the teeth are filed to reshape them.
A grown horse uses 36 teeth to eat. The 6 upper incisors and the 6 lower incisors are for shearing grass and leaves, which are masticated by 12 premolars, and 12 molars located on both sides of the upper and lower jaws. These molars must align for the horse to chew properly.
The majority of dental problems are associated with the molars and premolars. However, if the incisors are to long, opposing molars and premolars may be prevented from engaging properly.
In the prior art, hand tools similar to metal files or rasps were used to remove a selected portion of the tooth surface. These tools consisted of several shaped handles with pads mounted on one end. The pads accepted plates having an abrasive or specially designed file or rasp-toothed surface selected by the user. The mounted abrasive or rasp on the handle was then inserted into the horse's mouth and positioned against the tooth structure that needed to be altered. The user then manually applied pressure and movement to the handle until the selected portion of the tooth structure was removed.
Some prior solutions to the problem were to add motor power to the burrs to provide a “power dental tool” to replace the manual rasps. These solutions ease the manual work but introduced other problems such as the uncontrolled creation of dust and debris as well as the danger of injury to the horse and user from exposed high speed reciprocating or rotary burrs or rasps which may engage soft tissue such as the cheek, tongue, or gums inside the horses mouth.
Thus, there has long been a need for an arrangement that allows the user, usually a veterinarian, an owner or an equine dentist, to easily perform the removal of preselected material from the exposed surface of the horse's teeth without danger to the horse or the person doing the job.
It is desired that the arrangement allow the user to access the full array of teeth with a set of preselected shaped and surfaced files, rasps or other tools such as diamond cut-off blades.
It is further desired that the arrangement be motor driven but provide safety to the user and horse.
It is further desired to provide preselected shaped covers or guards around selected portions of the rotary tool to allow the system to be used in all parts of the mouth of the horse.
It is further desired to provide a clutch between the motor and the rotary tool. The threshold of disengagement of the rotary power applied by means of the clutch may be adjustable with access for adjustment that does not require dismantling the system.
It is further desired that the arrangement be able to remove accumulation of debris from the inside of the horse's mouth during the procedure.
It is desired that a simple latching or unlatching movement engage and disengage the selected tool within the rotary driven arrangement.
It is desired that a simple latching or unlatching movement engage and disengage selected guards around the rotary tool.
It is further desired that during the operation of the arrangement for the removal of material from inside the mouth the inadvertent engagement of soft tissue inside the mouth not adversely affect the user or the horse.
It is desired that reconfiguration of the arrangement be accomplished even if the users hands are slippery.
It is further desired that the motor be separated from the rotary tool by a drive train so that the user need not support the weight of the motor during the procedure.
It is further desired that the arrangement be easily adapted to a “power dental tool” motor or handle the user may presently own.